Intersections: a management tool for Science & Technology Parks

INTERSECTIONS is a tool to support science and technology park management. The tool can be used to create a virtual world with the aim to help management explore would-be scenarios for the park. Essentially the tool is an agent-based computer simulation model of innovation as adaptation. The model relies on two basic mechanisms: plasticity (i.e. in-park firms can react to outside pressure to innovate by interacting with others) and variety. In our virtual world there is also social interaction. In the paper we present a simple model built with INTERSECTIONS based on a case study. We discuss simulation results that relate to one question relevant to the case study: what can be achieved by stimulating interaction between in-park firms?